Rafting the GRAND CANYON Welcomes You! For an exciting,fun and challenging white water tours,Rafting the GRAND CANYON is here to help you plan the right tour for you.Whether you want to travel for two days or ten,hike in or not,go on an oar raft or motorized trip,we will help you find the trip that meets your needs. For those who will be vacationing on the offseason a trip on the Native American Red River rafting is available year around or a one day trip is available on the Colorado River from Diamond Creek to Pierce Ferry (about three hours from Las Vegas). Most of the trips depart from Lees Ferry,Arizona (approximately 21/2hours from the south rim of the Grand Canyon).We offer partial trips which allow you to get on or off at Phantom Ranch located at the bottom of the Grand Canyon National Park South Rim.Requiring a hike in or out,with proper planning the horse ride up or down is also an option.Most trips occur between April and October. Since all rafting on the Colorado requires a permit,planning and reserving your trip requires reservations well in advance.Please let us know when you would like to go and we will contact all the river concessionaires  to help you find the best trip for you. For planning your trip,questions,concerns or to make your reservations,please email or call the toll free number below.Since these trips are limited we highly recommend you make your reservations months in advance. To talk to a live person call us toll free:18002226966or 7026556060 If you have any questions regarding a trip,please CLICK _ HERE to fill out our form.This will speed up the process of getting you accurate information regarding your trip. If you would like to send us an email other than about an upcoming trip you can contact us at info@raftingthegrandcanyon.com. We look forward to helping you plan your trip!(Please NO Travel Agents) Rafting the Grand Canyon doesn't suggest the reader contact them in the way of  . A) calling at it in person B) filling a form C) sending an email D) making a call.
A


One afternoon last week, I saw three tearful children from my son's school being comforted by teachers. That morning, my 11-year-old had stomach pains, retching into a bowl. Talking to other mothers later, I heard about other children with stomachache or difficult sleeping the night before. What caused so much pain? Sports day. Sports day might be necessary at a highly-competitive independent school, but not at a village primary school. For the children who can fly like the wind, sports day cause no problem. For those who are overweight or just not good at sport, it is nightmare . Even for those who enjoy running but fall halfway down the track in front of the entire school and their parents, it can prove a disease. Why do we put our children through this annual suffering? Some may say competition is character building; or it's taking part, not winning, that's important; or that's a tradition of school life. I just felt great pity for those children in tears or in pain. Team games at the end of sports day produced some close races, wild enthusiasm, lots of shouting -- and were fun to watch. More importantly, the children who were not so fast or quick at passing the ball were hidden a little from everyone's eyes. Some of them also had the thrill of being on the winning side. I wish that sports day could be abandoned and replaced with some other less competitive event. Perhaps an afternoon of team games, with a few races for those who want them, would be less stressful for the children and a lot more fun to watch. What is the author's attitude towards sports day? A) Critical. B) Neutral. C) Positive. D) Ambiguous.
A


Q: The 115m Christmas Bird Count is officially underway. The count is an annual investigation of local and migratory birds and it's organized by the National Audubon Society. From  December 14 to January 5, volunteers will gather in more than 2,000 locations in North, Central and South America to count the birds in their area. Each count takes place in a circle about 24 kilometers wide. The volunteers follow specific routes within the circle and record the number of individual birds and the different species they see there in a single day. The results are sent to the National Audubon Society and later published on Audubon's Christmas Bird Count website. The data collected during the bird count is a key source Of information for ornithologists, scientists who study birds. This information is used to develop conservation programs to protect bird habitats and the environment /n general. Data from the bird count was also used to determine that three species-the Western screech owl, the rusty blackbird and the Newfoundland red crossbill - should be added to Canada's list of species at risk. The annual bird count was created to protest another Christmas tradition at the very beginning .in the United States in the 19th century, people would often hold "side hunts" on Christmas Day. Teams of hunters would compete to see who could kill the most birds or other animals that day. In  December 1900, Frank Chapman, an American ornithologist, suggested that instead of hunting birds, people should count them. Twenty-seven people in 25 locations joined in the first Christmas bird count Last year, more than 70,000 volunteers took part. This year, counts are scheduled to take place in 17 countries, ranging from the Arctic to the Antarctic, with most located in Canada and the United States .instead of taking place only on Christmas day, counts are now held on different days for different areas. How long will the 115th Christmas Bird Count last? A) About 3 weeks. B) A single day. C) About a month. D) About 2 weeks.
A: A


(Q).
Does being one of the younger students mean you have more of an excuse to make mistakes? The Taiwanese pop duo   Sweety, both 18 years old, will never do  _ . Starting to sing at age 14,Esther Lau   and Joanne Tseng   were among the youngest performers in their company.Over the years, they have learnt to be strict with themselves. "No one forces us,but we have to work very hard to get to the top," they said."The early bird gets the worm." Recently,they have brought their new CD, "Sweet Talk" to Beijing.Their songs are as sweet as their honey looks. Although their voices go together well,they have different personalities.Esther is outgoing,while Joanne looks shy. They also have different ways to set life goals."I have to make short-term goals and realize them one by one," said Esther. But Joanne said she sets longer goals."I like to keep one final goal in my heart and work hard to reach it," she says. Esther studies English at a college.She hopes to be a teacher someday. Joanne says she has got a business mind from her father.Perhaps she'll be a boss someday! Esther Lau and Joanne Tseng have the same   _  . A) age B) personalities C) ways to set life goals D) voices
(A).

A